Bank ad rides with Childress police

CHILDRESS - You could say First Bank and Trust of Childress turned bullet-proof vests into billboards, complete with lights and sirens.

Last August, Childress Assistant Police Chief Jay Mayden approached First Bank and Trust President Larry Johnson with an idea that he thought would benefit both the bank and police department.

Mayden proposed swapping advertising space on police cars for bullet-proof vests. The assistant chief said he got the idea from the police department in Midland.

"Our budget was pretty tight; we needed the vests, but the money just wasn't in the budget," Mayden said. "We did have some old, used ones, but you didn't feel very comfortable in them."

The banker pounced on Mayden's proposal.

"We were given the opportunity to exclusively display our logo on any squad car in a five-year lease," Johnson said. "We thought it was a great opportunity for us. I think it gives us three moving billboards 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

At the first of the year, the city council approved the contract between the bank and police department, and a 24-inch-wide by 8-inch-tall logo went on the back doors of Childress Police Department's three squad cars:

"Our Officers Protected By"

First Bank and Trust

Johnson said the bank paid $3,100 to outfit the police department with 12 bullet-proof vests. Mayden said the department has eight members plus Chief Billy Don Hinton.

"We thought it was a good idea to buy extras because some (officers) may weigh 250 and others 125," Johnson said.

Mayden said the city council had to approve the logos on the police cars because it involved a contract.

City Attorney Steve Bird wrote the contract.

"It worked out real well," Bird said. "The police got their vests, and the taxpayers didn't have to pay for them."

However, not everyone in Childress likes the new logos.

"I just don't think it's right. First of all, it puts officers in a compromising position. What happens if they pull over a bank employee?" said Childress truck driver David Goundie.

Mayden said his department was not compromised by the logos.

"That doesn't give anybody the right to break the law," the assistant police chief said. "The logo doesn't give any special privileges to anybody."

But Goundie has an additional concern.

"I'm all for the police officers having bullet-proof vests, but let them thank the bank in the newspaper. Does that mean anybody who wants to can advertise on a police car?"

City officials say no. Both Bird and Mayden said the bank logo was first and probably last on police cars.